The 2008 European Health Forum Award
27 EU countries were represented in at least one of the eight short-listed entries for this award.
Cooperation
First European University Hospital - a viable proposition
In line of the MCC Hospital World 2008, the International Congress for Decision Makers in the Hospital Market, that took place in September in Berlin, Germany, several highly regarded speakers from international companies and hospital chains draw a picture of the demands and necessities of the future healthcare environment.
eHealth for safe, high quality and efficient cross-border healthcare
Health systems and health policies across the EU are becoming ever more interconnected which raises many health policy issues. On 2 July 2008, in the context of the Renewed Social Agenda, the European Commission tabled a proposal for a directive on patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. Essential precondition for cross-border healthcare is the existence of electronic health record systems…
Healthcare without borders
High-quality health services are a priority issue for European citizens. Rights to healthcare are also recognised in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU. Health systems and health policies across the EU are becoming more interconnected than ever in the past.
Mitral valve repair is the treatment of choice
"Surgery should be performed using as often as possible surgical mitral valve repair, as this treatment has shown safety, efficacy and good long-term results," says French Prof Alec Vahanian on Monday, the third ESC day.
UK Polyclinic proposals meet opposition
The relationship between England's GPs and hospitals is currently at a sensitive stage, with a review of health services across the country set to impact on the way the two groups work and liaise with one another.
New relationship: 3M Health Care and Materials Management Microsystems
3M Health Care and Materials Management Microsystems recently announce plans to establish connectivity between Microsystems' SPM® sterile processing information system and 3M™ Attest™ Auto-readers and 3M™ Steri-Vac™ EO Sterilization Systems. This collaboration will provide hospitals more streamlined data collection, documentation and reporting capabilities.
New proton therapy software tool
Proton therapy is very sophisticated way of destroying tumours. Now the Swedish Medical company RaySearch Laboratories has signed a consulting agreement with Uppsala University Hospital in Sweden to develop a treatment-planning system.
EU takes Germany to court over rescue transport services
The European Commission initiated legal action against Germany. The European Court of Justice in Luxembourg will investigate whether certain regional and local authorities awarded contracts for rescue transport services without applying transparent contract award procedures.
Awards for TB study organisation
In 2005, former German Chancellor Schröder and Russian President Putin agreed on a strategic partnership to give infectious disease control the highest priority.
WMA gains funding to support TB training course
Pharma company Eli Lilly has increased an existing partnership with the World Medical Association (WMA) by granting c. 646,505 euros to expand online training courses for physicians on multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), which they have been developed over the past year.
Medi-Clinic steps into Europe
Last August, when the South African hospital group Medi-Clinic Corporation acquired Hirslanden, Switzerland's biggest private hospital group, the company not only took its first step into Europe, but progressed its strategy for the geographical expansion of its core business — acute medicine 'in conjunction with superior nursing care'.
The Aachen-Maastricht Alliance
The RWTH Aachen University Hospital and the Maastricht University Hospital with their corresponding medical faculties are located centrally in the EU region Meus-Rhine.
Companion diagnostics and more
Possibilities to co-develop new clinical diagnostic tests for companion diagnostics, metabolic syndrome, oncology and diabetes, are being explored by Siemens Healthcare and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp).
Highlights of the Iranian Society of Radiology
In the 30 years since the overthrow of its last Shah (1979) Iranian radiologists have been welcome speakers and research presenters at the European Congress of Radiology (ECR).
New sequencing tech for the 1000 Genomes Project
Three companies that have pioneered development of new sequencing technologies have joined the 1000 Genomes Project - the international research consortium, announced in January, aiming to build the most detailed map of human genome that will provide a view of biomedically relevant DNA variations at a resolution unmatched by current resources.
NHS cancer care gets massively financed by donations
When it comes to children's cancer care, the National Health Service counts on the concern of others, critics say. In their opinion the Britisch NHS tries to compense financial deficits by falling back on charity support. This could lead to large inequalities between different disease treatments and to over-reliances on local donations and social work.
Restructuring in the hospital sector
The hospital sector has recently been facing increased competition law scrutiny, in particular in Germany. During the last few years the German Federal Cartel Office (FCO) has made it clear on a number of occasions that mergers between hospitals (private as well as public-law hospitals) are just as much subject to competition law provisions as any other merger cases.
Pulsion and Philips Healthcare enhance their strong partnership
Pulsion Medical Systems and Philips Healthcare are two strong brands. Pulsion, one of the leading specialists for intelligent medical diagnosis and therapy management systems, now announced the extension of the alliance with Philips. Among other things the agreement will contain the integration of further Pulsion-technologies into the Philips patient monitoring systems.
International consolidation
Although much has been done in the last three or four months, iSoft needs to become a stronger global organisation, Gary Cohen emphasised.
Hospital IT director builds in-house HIS
The Torrevieja Salud Hospital, in southern Valencia, serves a population of 200,000 - but this swells to 600,000 in holiday periods.
Outsourcing, co-operation or centralisation
The complete takeover of hospital laboratories through private laboratory service providers is rapidly changing the nature of German laboratories. Taking a closer look at these developments, it becomes apparent that several trends are developing.
Outsourcing IT Technology Management: Winning Opportunity for Hospitals and Vendors
As healthcare IT becomes increasing technologically complex, well-designed partnerships with vendors and service companies may be the most efficient and cost-effective means by which to operate, Dr Thomas Geisinger, Global Manager for e-Health Integration of Agfa Healthcare in Mortsel, Belgium, told attendees at the Hospital Management Symposium.
Financing State-of-the-Art Technology
Hospitals concerned about the accuracy of utilization predictions of new diagnostic imaging equipment will be interested in pay-per-use financing that is being offered by global vendors. Eric-Jan Rutten, General Manager of Professional Healthcare Solutions of Philips Healthcare International in Eindhoven, Netherlands, described the approach that Philips takes with both large and very small…
Ziehm Imaging expands partner network
Ziehm Imaging, provider of mobile X-ray based imaging systems (C-arms) and the French medical technology company Praxim announced a strategic partnership to utilize long established intraoperative 3D imaging technology for navigated surgery.
